1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to cameras, and, more specifically, to light sensor operation in cameras.
2. Description of the Related Art
Miniature cameras are typically used in mobile devices such as cellphones and other multifunction devices. There is a constant demand to improve the quality and performance of miniature cameras in mobile devices. In such devices, space is a premium and every effort is made to minimize the camera size.
One camera feature in particular that is highly desirable optical zoom, to allow the user to frame and photograph high quality images of objects further from the camera. A zoom lens is a lens where the lens elements can be moved relative to one another to change the focal length of the lens. In doing so, this changes the field of view of the lens. Such lenses are typically much bigger than the space currently available for miniature cameras in mobile devices.
For conventional image sensors, a series of color filters are applied over the light sensitive pixels (for example in a Bayer pattern), and hence the majority of light is absorbed by the color filters and lost.